Container



June 18, 1963 o. WARBURG ETAL 3,094,234

CONTAINER Filed July 7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m M 4 i I 2 4M121! J- J/r1 m,

June 18, 1963 o. WARBURG ETAL CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7, 1960 FIG. 4

INVENTORS I United States Patent 3,094,234 CONTAINER Otto Warburg and Giinther Krippahl, Berlin-Dahlem, Germany; said Krippahl assignor to said Warburg Filed July 7, 1960, Ser. No. 41,388 8 Claims. (Cl. 215-6) The present invention relates to containers.

More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements in those containers which are known as the Warburg Apparatus, used in chemical and biological laboratories in all types of institutions throughout the world.

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Serial No. 798,081, filed March 9, 1959, and entitled Container, and now abandoned.

Containers of this type are essentially a vessel within a vessel and the inner vessel is provided with an absorbent medium to absorb gas from the outer vessel, the latter being connected with a manometer so as to indicate by the reduction of gas pressure when the medium in the inner vessel has absorbed the gas from the outer vessel. For example, the outer vessel has breathing, living cells located therein while the inner vessel may be provided with a solution of potassium hydroxide, for example, to.

absorb carbon dioxide from the outer vessel. Any type of gas-volumetric determination may be carried in the Warburg Apparatus.

The conventional Warburg Apparatus is however burdened with the drawback of requiring a relatively long time for the gas to be absorbed from the outer vessel into the medium in the inner vessel.

'It is an object of the present invention to provide a container of the above type which will greatly accelerate the gas absorption so that the time required for this purpose is greatly reduced.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extremely rugged container apparatus which can be inexpensively manufactured and can reliably perform the desired results.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a container apparatus of the above type which will reliably prevent the fluid in the outer vessel from spilling into the inner vessel and the fluid in the inner vessel from spilling over into the outer vessel.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a container apparatus of the above type which enables a medium to be added to the outer vessel while reliably preventing fluid in the inner vessel from spilling therefrom even when the outer vessel is tilted to introduce a medium into the same.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a container apparatus of the above type which enables a medium to be added to the inner vessel while reliably preventing fluid from spilling therefrom even when the entire container is tilted to introduce a medium into the inner vessel.

With the above objects in view, the present invention includes in a container apparatus an outer vessel and an inner vessel located within the outer vessel, this inner vessel being shallow and having a depth which is but a small fraction of the depth of the outer vessel, the inner vessel having a width substantially greater than its depth and a top wall formed with an opening which is substantially smaller than the maximum width of the inner vessel. The outer vessel carries at its exterior a supply means which communicates with at least one of the vessels for supplying material thereto when the container is tilted in a given direction.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as 3,094,234 Patented June 18, 1963 to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a container according to the present invention, the section of FIG. 1 being taken along line 11 of FIG. 2 in the directions of the arrows;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of the vessel of FIG. 1 taken along line 22 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view of the vessel of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along lines 33 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation of another embodiment of a container according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective illustration of a still further embodiment of a container according to the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective illustration of a container similar to that of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, the container illustrated therein is made up in its entirety of a material such as glass, for example. This container includes the outer vessel 10 and the inner vessel 11. This inner vessel is in accordance with the present invention relatively shallow and has a depth which is a small fraction of the depth of the outer vessel 10 and a width which is substantially greater than its depth. As may be seen from FIG. 3 the inner vessel 11 is substantially circular, and as may be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 the inner vessel 11 has a substantially elliptical cross-section whose major axis extends substantially parallel to the bottom flat wall of the outer vessel 10. The inner vessel 11 is provided with a top wall 12 formed with an opening 13 which is substantially smaller than the maximum width of the inner vessel 11. This inner vessel 11 is fixedly mounted within the outer vessel spaced from the walls thereof and substantially centrally arranged therein. For this purpose, in the embodiment of FIGS. -13 at least one rod 14 is fixed at one of its ends to a side wall of the outer vessel 10 and at the other of its ends to the inner vessel 11. In the particular example illustrated, a pair of such rods 14 are shown, and these rods may be fused to the inner and outer vessels in a manner shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 for the purpose of supporting the inner vessel within the outer vessel.

In addition, as is evident from FIG. 1, a tube 15 having the configuration of an inverted V is connected to and communicates with the outer vessel 10, this tube 15 having one leg 16 connected directly with a side wall of the vessel 10 and another leg 17 distant from the vessel 10. It will be noted that the angle between the legs 16 and 17 is relatively large and in fact is greater than in the example illustrated. With this construction a liquid or the like located in the leg 17 will flow through the leg 16 into the vessel 10 when the latter is tilted without any danger of liquid within the inner vessel 11 spilling therefrom. The upper wall 12 of the inner vessel 11 guarantees that liquid in the outer vessel 10 will not spill into the inner vessel 11 and that liquid within the inner vessel 11 will not spill into the outer vessel 10.

The outer vessel 10 is provided with a neck 19 and the tube 15 is provided with a neck 18, and these necks may be connected in a fluid-tight manner with tubes extending to a manometer for measuring the gas pressure within the vessel 10.

With the above-described structure of the invention it is possible, when vibrating the container, to provide an absorption of gas from the vessel 10 into the medium within the vessel 11 which is far quicker than has hitherto been possible. The reason for this is, that the relatively shallow wide inner vessel provides a large surface area for the absorbing liquid, this area being increased due to the vibration of the container, and at the same time there is no danger of any liquid spilling out of the container 11. The gas such as carbon dioxide is absorbed into the medium such as potassium hydroxide within the inner container in approximately one tenth of the time required by the conventional Warburg Apparatus for this purpose. In an actual experiment where carbon dioxide at a pressure of 100 mm. of water was located in the vessel of the invention and in the corresponding vessel of the conventional Warburg Apparatus, and where both containers were vibrated in a chamber whose temperature was accurately maintained at 20 C., the conventional Warburg Apparatus provided in its inner container with 0.2 ccm. of potassium hydroxide solution required 30 minutes to cause the carbon dioxide pressure to disappear while the same result was produced with the structure of the invention in 3 minutes where the inner vessel 11 was also provided with 0.2 ccm. of potassium hydroxide solution.

In order to easily permit solution to be introduced with a pipette, for example, into the outer vessel 10 beneath the inner vessel 11, the latter is formed in an outer surface with a vertical groove 20 extending toward the bottom of the outer vessel, as indicated in FIG. 3, so as to easily accommodate a pipette or the like.

If desired, the inner vessel 11 may be provided along the edge of the opening 13 with a lip extending upwardly from the top wall 12 to further guarantee that there is no spilling of the fluid medium from the inner container 11 or from the outer container into the inner container 11.

With a tube 15 as shown in FIG. 1 connected to the container 10, it will not be necessary to tilt the latter to a large degree in order to cause fluid to flow from the leg 17 through the leg 16 into the container 10, and as a result there is no danger that fluid will spill from the inner vessel 11 during such tilting of the container apparatus of the invention. To further guarantee that no fluid spills from the inner vessel 11 during tilting of the container apparatus of the invention to raise the leg portion 17 so as to cause fluid to flow therefrom along the leg 16 into the outer vessel 10, the top wall 12 of the vessel 11 may be extended at the left portion of the opening 13, as viewed in FIG. 1, toward the right so as to guarantee that the liquid in the container '11 will remain therein during such tilting of the apparatus.

The acceleration of the gas absorption provided with the structure of the invention is astonishingly high. This structure of the invention is of particular advantage in physiological tests involving cells and the structure of the invention renders the conventional Warburg Apparatus obsolete for such purposes.

According to the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIG. 4, the outer container 30 is also provided in its interior with an inner vessel 31 which is identical with the inner vessel 11 except for the connection of this inner vessel 31 with a fluid-conveying means 40, as described below. Thus, the relationship between the inner vessel 31 and the outer vessel 30 of FIG. 4 is identical with the relationship between the inner vessel 11 and the outer vessel 10 of FIGS. 1-3. This inner vessel 31 is provided in the same way as the inner vessel 11 with a top wall 32 formed with an opening 33. A tubular means 35 which corresponds to the tubular means 15 of FIG. 1 forms a hollow extension of the outer vessel 30 and serves to hold any desired material which in the embodiment of FIG. 4 is to be supplied to the inner container 31. The tubular means 35 has a pair of legs 36 and 37 which are inclined with respect to each other in the same way as the legs 16 and -17 of the tubular means 15 of FIG. 1.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4 the leg 36 passes directly through the wall of the outer vessel 30 and is fixed with and communicates with the interior of the inner vessel 31, the leg 36 thus forming in the interior of the outer vessel 30 the fluid-conveying means 40 which in the illustrated example takes the form of a tubular extension of the leg 36 which communicates through a wall of the inner vessel 31 with the interior thereof in a manner shown in FIG. 4. Of course, instead of a tubular construction for the fluid-conveying means 40, this latter means may take the form of a channel which is open at its to It Should be noted that with the embodiment of FIG. 4 the fluid-conveying means 40 in addition to performing its function of providing a connection between the hollow extension 35 and the inner vessel 31 also performs the function of supporting the inner vessel 31 in the interior of the outer vessel 30 in the manner shown in FIG. 4, so that with the embodiment of FIG. 4 it is unnecessary to provide anything like the rods 14 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3.

When the container of FIG. 4 is tilted to the left, as viewed in FIG. 4, the material in the supply means formed by the hollow extension 35 will flow from the leg 37 down the leg 36 into the inner vessel 31.

As is indicated in FIG. 4 the outer vessel 30 also carries a supply means 41 in the form of a second hollow extension which is identical with the supply means 15 of FIG. 1, this hollow extension 41 having a pair of legs 42 and 43 and an upper tubular supply inlet 44. Thus, when the container of FIG. 4 is tilted to the right, which is to say in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, the material of the supply means 41 will be delivered into the interior of the outer vessel 30, while when the container is tilted in the opposite direction then material will flow from the supply means 35 into the inner vessel so that the embodiment of FIG. 4 makes it possible for the operator to supply materials at desired times into both the inner and the outer vessels. The hollow extension 35 is provided with a tubular inlet 38 which may be identical with the tubular extension 18 of the supply means 15 of FIG. 1, and the outer vessel 30 has a tubular inlet 39 which may be identical with the inlet 19 of FIG. 1.

According to the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIG. 5, the outer vessel carries but a single supply means identical with the supply means 35 and communicating in exactly the same way with an inner vessel in the interior of the outer vessel, as indicated in FIG. 5. Thus, the only difference between the embodiment of FIG. 5 and that of FIG. 4 is that in the embodiment of FIG. 5 there is no supply means which communicates with the interior of the outer vessel, this outer vessel being supplied through its upper tubular inlet. It will be noted that the configuration of the vessel 50 of FIG. 5 is somewhat different from that of the vessel 30 of FIG. 4, but except for the change in shape the vessels 30 and 50 are the same, the major distinction between the embodiments of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 being that the embodi ment of FIG. 5 does not include the supply means 41.

'In the embodiment of FIG. 6 a vessel which has the same configuration as the vessel 50 of FIG. 5 forms the outer container of vessel, and this embodiment of FIG. 6 is identical with that of FIG. 4 except for the shape of the outer vessel 60 which is shaped differently from the vessel 30 as is apparent from a comparison of FIGS. 4 and 6. Thus, the supply means carried by the outer vessel 60 provides a means for supplying material to the inner vessel located in the interior of the outer vessel 60, this inner vessel being identical with the vessel 31 of FIG. 4 and communicating in the same way with the hollow extension 65 of the vessel 60, and in addition this vessel 60 carries the supply means 61 which is identical with the supply means 41 of FIG. 4.

It will be noted that in the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6 the tubular inlets of the several hollow extensions 51, 61, 65 of the outer vessels carry tubular extensions 56, 67 and 66, respectively. These are hollow tubular extensions which communicate in a fluid-tight manner with the hollow extensions 55, 61 and 65 as a result of the polishing and grinding of the fit between these tubular extensions and the tubular inlets of the several supply means of FIGS. 5 and 6. These tubular extensions 56, 66 and 67 enable material to be supplied to the interiors of the hollow extensions and also enable the pressure in these parts to be equalized.

Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 5, it is possible to use this structure to determine the amount of carbon dioxide used or formed in the outer vessel 50. For example this carbon dioxide may be the result of the breathing or photosynthesis of living cells within the outer vessel 50. For this purpose there is placed within the outer vessel :50 at the bottom thereof a suspension of cells, and a solution of potassium permanganate is placed in the inner vessel. Within the hollow extension 55 of the outer vessel 50 there is placed a solution of potassium ferrocyanide. When the embodiment of FIG. 5 is tilted so that some of the solution of potassium ferrocyanide flows from the supply means 55 into the interior of the inner vessel which contains the solution of potassium permanaganate, then from the two previously neutral liquids there is formed an alkaline liquid which now absorbs the carbon dioxide. Thus it is possible at any desired moment to determine the change in carbon dioxide pressure which is obtained by the cells within the outer vessel.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of containers differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in containers of the Warburg Apparatus type, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made Without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptation should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A container comprising, in combination, an outer vessel; an inner vessel located within and secured to said outer vessel and spaced above the bottom wall of said outer vessel, said inner vessel being relatively shallow, having a depth which is a relatively small fraction of the depth of said outer vessel, and having a width which is greater than its depth, said inner vessel having a horizontal top wall formed with an opening which is exposed in the outer vessel and is substantially smaller in width than the maximum width of the inner vessel; and an inverted V-shaped supply chamber integrally formed with said outer vessel and communicating with the interior of at least one of said vessels, said supply chamber having a downwardly and outwardly inclined outer leg provided with a close bottom wall to define a storage space for material, said material flowing to the interior of said one vessel when the container is tilted in a direction to elevate said outer leg.

2. A container comprising, in combination, an outer vessel; an inner relatively shallow vessel located within said outer vessel, having a depth which is a relatively small fraction of the depth of said outer vessel, and having a width which is substantially greater than its depth, and said inner vessel having a horizontal top wall formed with an opening which is exposed in the outer vessel and is substantially smaller in width than the maximum width of the inner vessel; means fixing said inner vessel to said outer vessel in the interior of the latter spaced from the bottom wall of said outer vessel and arranged substantially centrally within the outer vessel spaced from the side walls thereof, and an inverted V-shaped supply chamber integrally formed with said outer vessel and communicating with the interior of at least one of said vessels, said supply chamber having a downwardly and outwardly inclined outer leg provided with a closed bottom wall to define a storage space for material, said material flowing to the interior of said one vessel when the container is tilted in a direction to elevate said outer leg.

3. A container comprising, in combination, an outer vessel; an inner vessel mounted within and secured to said outer vessel, said inner vessel having a substantially elliptical cross-section whose major axis extends substantially parallel to the bottom wall of said outer vessel and said inner vessel having a horizontal top wall formed with an opening which is exposed in the outer vessel and is substantially smaller in width than said major axis, and an inverted V-shaped supply chamber integrally formed with said outer vessel and communicating with the interior of at least one of said vessels, said supply chamber having a downwardly and outwardly inclined outer leg provided with a closed bottom wall to define a storage space for material, said material flowing to the interior of said one vessel when the container is tilted in a direction to elevate said outer leg.

4. A container, comprising, in combination, an outer vessel; an inner circular vessel of substantially elliptical cross-section located within said outer vessel, the latter having a flat bottom wall and the elliptical cross-section of said inner vessel having a major axis substantially parallel to said bottom wall, said inner vessel being spaced from the bottom and side walls of said outer vessel and located substantially centrally within said outer vessel, and said inner vessel having a horizontal top wall formed with an opening which is exposed in the outer vessel and is substantially smaller in width than said major axis; at least one rod extending substantially parallel to the bottom wall of said outer vessel within the latter, fixed at one end to a side wall of said outer vessel, and fixed to its opposite end to said inner vessel to support the latter within said outer vessel, and an inverted V-shaped supply chamber integrally formed with said outer vessel and communicating with the interior of at least one of said vessels, said supply chamber having a downwardly and outwardly inclined outer leg provided with a closed bottom wall to define a storage space for material, said material flowing to the interior of said one vessel when the container is tilted in a direction to elevate said outer leg.

5. A container comprising, in combination, an outer vessel; an inner relatively shallow vessel located within said outer vessel, said inner vessel having a depth which is a small fraction of the depth of said outer vessel and having a width substantially greater than its depth, said inner vessel having an exterior surface formed with a groove extending along the exterior of said inner vessel toward the bottom of said outer vessel, and said inner vessel having a horizontal top wall formed with an opening which is substantially smaller in Width than the maximum width of the inner vessel; at least one rod located in said outer vessel, fixed at one end to the latter, and fixed at its opposite end to said inner vessel to support the latter in said outer vessel, and an inverted V-shaped supply chamber carried by said outer vessel and communicating with the interior of at least one of said vessels, said supply chamber having a downwardly and outwardly inclined outer leg provided with a closed bottom wall to define a storage space for material, said material flowing to the interior of said one vessel when the container is tilted in a direction to elevate said outer leg.

6. A container comprising, in combination, an outer vessel; an inner relatively shallow vessel having a depth substantially smaller than its width located within said outer vessel, the depth of said inner vessel being a small fraction of the depth of said outer vessel, and said inner vessel having a horizontal top wall formed with an opening whose size is substantially smaller in width than the maximum width of said inner vessel; and a tube having substantially the configuration of an inverted V connected to a side wall of said outer vessel and communicating with the interior and said outer vessel through said side Wall thereof, said tube having a pair of oppositely inclined straight legs one of which is upwardly and outwardly inclined from and is connected directly with said outer vessel above the level of said inner vessel and the other of which is downwardly and outwarly inclined and is distant from said outer vessel, said other leg having a closed end so that a fluid medium may be located in said other leg, the angle between said legs of said tube being great enough to allow fluid to flow from said other leg through said one leg into said outer vessel when the latter is tilted to raise said other leg of said tube, while fluid in said inner vessel is retained therein.

7. A container comprising, in combination, an outer vessel; an inner relatively shallow vessel having a depth substantially smaller than its width located within said outer vessel, the depth of said inner vessel being a small fraction of the depth of said outer vessel, and said inner vessel having a horizontal top wall formed with an opening whose size is substantially smaller in width than the maximum width of said inner vessel; and a tube having substantially the configuration of an inverted V connected to a side wall of said outer vessel and communicating with the interior of said outer vessel through said side wall thereof, said tube having a pair of oppositely inclined straight legs one of which is upwardly and outwardly inclined from and is connected directly with said outer vessel above the level of said inner vessel and the other of which is downwardly and outwardly inclined and is distant from said outer vessel, said other leg having a closed end so that a fluid medium may be located in said other leg, the angle between said legs of said tube being great enoughtto allow fluid to flow from said other leg through said one leg into said outer vessel when the latter is tilted to raise said other leg of said tube, while fluid in said inner vessel is retained therein, said angle between said legs of said tube being greater than 8. A container comprising, in combination, an outer vessel; a hollow extension integrally formed with and extending from said outer vessel to the exterior thereof and communicating withthe interior of said outer vessel; an inner vessel located within and secured to said outer vessel, said inner vessel being relatively shallow, having a depth which is a relatively small fraction of the depth of the outer vessel, and having a width which is greater than its depth, said inner vessel having a top wall formed with an opening which is exposed in the outer vessel and is substantially smaller in width than the maximum width of the inner vessel; and an inverted V-shaped chamber integrally formed with said outer vessel and communicating directly with said inner vessel, said inverted V-shaped chamber having a downwardly and outwardly inclined outer leg provided with a closed bottom wall to define a storage space for fluid, said fluid flowing to said inner vessel when the container is tilted in a direction to elevate said outer leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS- 

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN OUTER VESSEL; AN INNER VESSEL LOCATED WITHIN AND SECURED TO SAID OUTER VESSEL AND SPACED ABOVE THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID OUTER VESSEL. SAID INNER VESSEL BEING RELATIVELY SHALLOW, HAVING A DEPTH WHICH IS A RELATIVELY SMALL FRACTION OF THE DEPTH OF SAID OUTER VESSEL, AND HAVING A WIDTH WHICH IS GREATER THAN ITS DEPTH, SAID INNER VESSEL HAVING A HORIZONTAL TOP WALL FORMED WITH AN OPENING WHICH IS EXPOSED IN THE OUTER VESSEL AND IS SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER IN WIDTH THAN THE MAXIMUM WIDTH OF THE INNER VESSEL; AND AN INVERTED V-SHAPED SUPPLY CHAMBER INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH SAID OUTER VESSEL AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID VESSELS, SAID SUPPLY CHAMBER HAVING A DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY INCLINED OUTER LEG PROVIDED WITH A CLOSE BOTTOM WALL TO DEFINE A STORAGE SPACE FOR MATERIAL, SAID MATERIAL FLOWING TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID ONE VESSEL WHEN THE CONTAINER IS TILTED IN A DIRECTION TO ELEVATE SAID OUTER LEG. 